Cutting or grinding equipment



N OVa 22, 1 I

H. J. PERAZZOLI CUTTING OR GRINDING EQUIPMENT Filed March a, 1936 4 Sheeis-Sheet 1 INVENTOR If I k ATTORNEY5 Nov; 22, 1938, H. J. PRAzzou 2,137,306

CUTTING 0R GRINDING EQUIPMENT Filed March 6, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR my- W %W Nov. 22', 193

H. J." PERAZZOLI CUTTING 0R GRINDING EQUIPMENT Filed March a, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR BY d v ATTORNEYS Nov,22,193s. H. J. P ERAZZDU 2,137,306

I v -CUT'I'ING OR GRINDING EQUIPMENT Filed March 6, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Patented Nov. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES P EN O F 'I'hisinvention relates to cutting or grinding equipment and is more particularly concerned with a rail cross cutter, i. e., a machine incor-,

porating a cutting wheel, suchas an abrasive disk, which wheel is mounted to rotate-ma plane transverse the axis of the rail. i The invention is especially concerned with novel adjustable mountings for wheels of this type.

Briefly stated, the important features of the invention are concerned with a machineincor-r porating a frame adapted to be fixedly positioned withrespect to a rail to be cut, and mounting: mechanism carrying the Wheel. to rotate Lin a1 15. plane transverse the axis of the rail, which mounting mechanism incorporates means for adjusting the position of the .Wheel vertically, transversely across the rail, and in a direction axially ofthe wheel. The last-named adjustment: is :of'

especial importance, particularly in the manner in which it is carried out in accordance with this invention. With. reference to this matter, it should be noted that the rails of a trackway, especially railroad rails, are laid with expansion spaces between the ends of adjacent railsso as to provide'freedom for expansion and contrac-. tion in accordance with temperature. variations.

Constant use of the rails, especially when the traific is heavy, causes themetal of the rail .it- 4);, self adjacent the ends to be deformed or pounded in a manner to at least partially close the expansion spaces. I

The equipment ofthe present invention is peculiarly adapted to a situation of this typetand 35,-, provides accurate cutting out of the deformed metal so as to restore the desired inter-railexpansion space. suitable for cross cutting grail heads for other purposes. I

); How the foregoing, together withother objects and advantages, are attained will be apparent from'a consideration of the following descrip-.;

sa -ing a modified form of construction.

The machine, of course, isalso- Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating the machine of Figure 3 in vertical section on the line's-4. l

r In all figures a portion of the rail to be cut is indicated at R. The machine of Figures 1 and 2 is adapted to rest on and be positioned by the rail R, a frame generally indicated by the letter Abeing provided for this purpose. This frame includes a member 5 generally of channel shape adapted to receive the rail head.

A clamping device is provided in order to se-l cure: the machine to the rail. Asshown in Figure 1 this device includes a fitting 6 fastened to one of the flanges I of. the channel for receiving the .rail ,head. ,A member 8 is threaded into the fitting. 6v and within these two members a plunger 9 iswprovid'ed having .a point l0 projecting throughuthe flange l to engage a side of the rail head. The plunger may be advanced by means of the hand operated lever Illa pivoted as at Hlb which actuates the cam lllc bearing on the outer end of the plunger 9. A return spring lllc l may be employed to move the plunger awayfrom the rail head upon release by the lever Illa. The threaded engagement of the members 6 and .8 provides for adjustment of the clamp mechanism so as to accommodate it to theclamping of rail ,heads of different widths. Preferab-ly'the clamping point Ill of the plunger 9 is positionedat one side of the channel for engaging the rail head at a point intermediate 2;. pair ofmembers such as bolts or the like 5a mounted in the opposing flange of the channel. This provides a three-point clamping action.

A pair of uprights H-ll are mounted at the ends of the cross member 5?), these uprights being tied adjacent the top by a pair of cross members l2. A transverse carriageyincorporating members I3 and I4, is mounted for vertical movement with respect to the uprights Il--H bym'eans of end members Iii-15 carrying guide flanges 16-46 which are adapted. to embrace and slide vertically on the guide portions Il--I1 positioned atopposite sides of a central vertical aperture" Ila in each of the uprights ll. This vertically movable carriage may be adjusted by means of the adjusting lever [B which is pivoted tothe main framing as at I9 and connected with the carriage by a depending link 20. Return springs l8a serve to raise the carriage with reference to the uprights ll-I l, and in operation suflicient pressure must be applied to the hand lever l8 to overcomethe power of the springs.

The lower cross member Id of the carriage constitutes a guide and support for a second carriage comprising a lower part 2|, and an upper part 22 secured to each other as by bolts 23 and providing guide spaces therebetween to receive the edges of the guide l4. The upper part 22 is formed with a cylinder 24 having its axis paralleling the guide 4. This second carriage may be moved in a direction transverse the axis of the rail by means of the feed screw 21 which cooperates with an internally threaded sleeve 28. Thefeed screw is journaled, as by bushing 2929 mounted on the blocks |6a of the first carriage which project through the apertures Ila in the uprights A hand wheel 30 may be employed to effect this adjustment.

The part 2| of the second carriage has a cylindrical aperture therein whose axis substantially parallels the axis of the rail and in this aperture a bearing support 3| is mounted for sliding movement. Relative rotation of the part 2| and the bearing support 3| is prevented by means of the key 32.secured to the -part 2| and. mov-' able in the key slot 33 formed in. the bearing support. The bearing support inturnserves to mount shaft 34 as by bearings 35-35-and the shaft carries the cutting wheel 36 which, as before stated, may suitably comprise an abrasive disk. At the other endofthe shaft 34 a fitting 31 is arranged, Lthis fitting being configured to cooperate with a drive mechanism such as a flexible shaft, the casing for which maybe attached to the threaded connection 38 formed on the end closure 39 for the bearing support 3|.

Axial movement of the bearing support and the parts carried thereby (including the wheel) may be effected and controlled by the micrometer adjustment device which includes a sleeve 4|) surrounding the bearing support and externally threaded as at 4| tocooperate with the internal threads 42. formed inthe cylindrical aperture of member 2|. Atits outer end the sleeve 40 is provided with an externally knurled ring 43 which, at its outer side, is adapted to abut against thefiange 44 of the closure member 39 in order to efiectmovement of the bearing support in a direction to the left in' Figure 2. For the purpose of effecting movement of the bearing support to the right, this support and the ring 43 are provided with inter-engaging shoulders 45-as clearly seen in Figure. 2.

A wheel guard 46 may conveniently be carrie on the member 2| as by bolts 41,..this guard preferably being of suflicient width to accommo-.

date a substantial axial movement of the wheel in response to the micrometer adjustment as effected by rotation of the knurled ring 43.

From the foregoing it will be seen that'the machine of this invention, in addition to providing for vertical movement of the-cutting'wheel' and lateral movementthereotacross the rail, further provides a positive and accurate adjustment in a direction axially of the wheel.

that the invention eliminates the-necessity for using the rail clamp to accurately position the cutting wheel and it should be noted in this connection that the invention eliminates the neces- In,v operation, therefore, and assuming that the ma sity for using the rail clamp to accurately position the machine. Inaccuracies which might arise from the act of tightening the rail clamp are thus obviated.

The mechanism is further of advantage by virtue of the fact that the micrometer'adjustment is closely associated with the wheel itself. Note that this adjustment is interposed between the bearing support for the wheel and the immediately cooperating mounting structure. Thus, even though this immediately cooperating mounting structure is in turn arranged for various other adjustments, an accurate positioning of the plane of rotation of the wheel may be effected.

Attention is now called to the fact that the mechanism shown in Figures 1, 2 and 2a provides an additional movement so that the plane of rotation of the cutting wheel may be twisted angularly about an upright axis. In this way rail cuts may be made at angles other than a right angle with respect to the longitudinal-axis of the rail;

With this in mind, the base structure or channel 5 is provided with a pad l9 having a circular. recess therein adapted to receive the boss formed on the base member 5b of the machine. As before noted, the member 51) serves to support the uprights H for carrying the remaining adjustable mechanism and the cutting disk. The base member 5b and the uprights II and therefore the machine as a whole are rotatable about a vertical axis passing through the center of the boss 80. The machine may be fixed in any adjusted position by means of bolts 33 taking into the pad 19 and projecting through arcuate grooves 84 formed at opposite sides of the boss 80 and concentric therewith. Upon loosening the bolts the base structure 5b and the machine parts carried thereby may be turned to any desired position and thereafter fixed in that position by tightening the bolts 83.

With this arrangement it will be noted that accurate feed of the cutting wheel in a direction axially thereof may be obtained, and, in combination with this movement, the wheel may be setaccurately to any desired transverse angle in cutting the rail. The machine is, therefore, readily adaptable to a wide variety of different cutting conditions.

In many general respects the modification of Figures 3 and 4 resembles the arrangement of Figures land 2. The modified machine incorporates a base frame 48 having means 45 adapted-to engage a rail, which means, as in the first form, isequipped with a clamping mechanism comprising parts essentially similar to those described above in connection with Figure 1, i. e., a fitting 6 receiving a threaded member 8 in which a plunger 9 is mounted for actuation by means of cam |0c which may be rotated by the hand lever Hia. It will be noted that portions of this mechanism are shown in section in Figure 3 and comparison of Figures 1 and 3'will.

clarify the arrangement of the parts incorporated in the clamp.

The base. frame carries uprights 54 serving as guides for the sleeves 55 which, in turn, carry the vertically movable carriage 5B. The uprights may be braced to the base frame 48 by means of diagonal straps 51. 3

Vertical movement of the carriage 56 may be provided by a lever 58 pivoted at 59 to the-crosstie 60 which extends between the upper ends of the uprights 54. A link 6| again serves to inter- 5- connect the vertically movable carriage and the operating lever 53. Return springs 62 serve to raise the carriage unless the pressure applied to the lever 58 is sufficient to overcome the power of the springs.

The carriage is provided with a cylindrical part 63 externally threaded as at iii to cooperate with the internal threading 65 of the cup '56.

This cup is attached to the shaft 6? by means of bolt 68 and rotation thereof serves to move the shaft 6? axially with respect to the cylindrical member 63. At its other end shaft till serves as a pivot support for the depending link 59. At its lower end the link carries a bearing support it in which the wheel shaft "ii is mounted for free rotation, as by bearings i2l2. As in the prior form already described, one end of shaft "ii is provided with a connection '53 adapted for ready coupling and uncoupling with respect to a flexible driving shaft or other equivalent drive mechanism. At its other end, shaft ii serves to carry the cutting wheel M which may again be protected by the housing l5, in this instance secured to the depending link 59. An operating arm 16 is also attached to the link 69 and serves as the means for swinging the link back and forth transversely of the rail during operation.

In certain respects the mechanism of Figures 3 and 4 is of relatively simple construction and is of advantage for this reason. The swinging link 6!! constitutes an effective means for feeding the cutting Wheel transversely of the rail.

The screw threaded or micrometer adjustment element 68 here serves, as in the arrangement of Figures 1 and '2, to provide for feed of the wheel 'or accurate adjustment thereof in a direction paralleling the axis of the wheel. Thus, with this form of mechanism also, the machine may be clamped to the rail in the approximate position required and thereafter an adjustment made so as to produce a out exactly positioned at the desired point.

It may be noted that, if desired, the swivel arrangement for the machine as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 2a, providing for movement about a generally upright axis, may be employed in the arrangement of Figures 3 and 4.

I claim:

1. A rail cross cutter including a frame, means for securing the frame to the rail to be cut, a cutting wheel mounted on said frame to rotate in a plane transverse to the axis of the rail, means for adjusting the plane of rotation of the wheel about a generally upright axis, and a threaded mechanism for shifting the wheel in an axial direction with respect to the frame.

2. A rail cross cutter including a frame, means for securing the frame to the rail to be cut, a support mounted on said frame with freedom for angular adjustment with respect thereto about a generally upright axis, a cutting wheel mounted on the support to rotate in a plane generally transverse to the axis of the rail, means for raising and lowering the cutting wheel, and means providing for shifting of the wheel in an axial direction with respect to the support.

3. In a machine for working railway track rails, a clamp mechanism for securing the machine to the rail, said mechanism including opposed clamp elements one adapted to be positioned at each side of a rail, one of said elements taking the form of a plunger, a sleeve in which the plunger is mounted for axial movement, said sleeve being mounted for movement toward and away from said rail, and cam means for actuating the plunger, the cam means being arranged to react the plunger toward the rail.

HENRY J. PERAZZOLI. 

